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How to get more actinic keratosis patients: a plan for dermatology practices

A quiet hallway at a bright, quiet dermatology practice

Adults call about a rough or scaly spot on their skin that they want a dermatologist to look at. This guide is for dermatology practices; seborrheic keratosis, mole removal, skin tag removal and laser skin resurfacing have their own guides. The dermatologist or treating clinician (the clinician below) decides the plan, including whether any treatment is needed and which one.

In short

  • Speak to adults about skin spots in plain words, without fear or shame.
  • Keep landing pages clear: what people notice, the visit, the clinician, the price, one way to book.
  • Book the visit with a short script that never names a condition, a cause or a method.
  • Know the MedlinePlus routing line and pass every spot question to the clinical team.
  • Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Who the patients are and what they search for

Callers are adults 18 or over, of any sex. They ask for a new visit, a skin check or a follow-up visit about a rough or scaly spot. They search for a skin check, a skin doctor or a dermatologist near them.

MedlinePlus, on its Actinic keratosis page, says: “Actinic keratosis is a small, rough, raised area on your skin.” Use plain words like these, and quote nothing else from that page in ads.

Only the clinician can say what a spot is. Staff never say a spot is actinic keratosis, precancer, precancerous, cancer, not cancer, normal, harmless, benign, sun damage, nothing to worry about or any other condition, and never guess a cause.

Aim ads at adults only. Never target by age, skin type, skin color, eye or hair color, sun exposure, outdoor work, sunburn history, transplant, immune status, medicines, sex, body area or any health condition, and never build audiences or keywords from health information.

2. Landing page basics

The page sells the visit, not a result.

  • Name what people notice: a rough or scaly spot on the skin they want a dermatologist to look at.
  • Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
  • Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
  • Show one way to book.

Say plainly that the clinician looks at the spot, answers questions and explains the options. Never use fear, list causes, name a method, give skin care tips or promise an outcome.

Avoid “gone for good”, “will not come back”, “just a dry patch”, “nothing to worry about”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”, and never say what a spot is. Better: “the clinician will look at the spot, answer your questions and talk through the options with you”.

3. The phone script

Staff never judge urgency, never say what a spot is and never name a method; they collect answers and book.

  1. “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
  2. “Is this a new visit, a skin check or a follow-up, and did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any notes from earlier care.”
  3. “The visit starts at [price]. Further care may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
  4. What is it, is it cancer, is it precancer, is it harmful, is it sun damage, can it be removed, will it come back, which method do you use, and will it work? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will look at the spot in person, ask about it and decide with you what the options are.”
  5. “I can book your visit now. May we text or email you about it?”

Book adults only. Pass any caller under 18, and any question on medicines or home steps, to the clinical team. See the new patient phone script.

4. Routing and safety lines

In its section on when to contact a medical professional, MedlinePlus gives one routing sentence and no list, quoted here whole.

It says: “Contact your provider if you see or feel a rough or scaly spot on your skin, or if you notice any other skin changes.”

This is the source’s sentence for patients and the practice. The front desk relays it and never says what a spot is or whether a change matters. It routes any caller who describes a rough or scaly spot or any other skin change to the clinical team.

A caller who says a spot bleeds, itches, hurts, grew or changed is passed to the clinical team; staff never say why. Staff add no words of their own, never suggest home steps, never tell a caller to burn, freeze, scrape, cut or treat a spot at home and never tell a caller to stop, keep or change a medicine. Any other worrying report goes to the clinical team right away.

Make follow-up visits easy to book. Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to visit.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more actinic keratosis patients?

Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, keep claims inside the sources, and book a visit where the clinician decides the plan.

Can we tell callers what a spot is, or how it will be treated?

No. The dermatologist or treating clinician sees the patient and decides the plan, including whether any treatment is needed and which one.

What should the front desk do when a caller describes a rough or scaly spot?

Pass the caller to the clinical team (see section 4). Staff never judge urgency and never say what a spot is.

Does insurance cover a visit for a skin spot?

Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed November 2026.

More resources

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